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How to become a healthcare assistant

Healthcare assistants (HCAs) help nurses and other professionals care for patients — washing and dressing, helping people eat, checking temperature and blood pressure, and keeping patients comfortable.

You could work in hospitals, GP practices, community teams or care homes.

There are no set entry requirements, and you train on the job, including the Care Certificate.

  • No set entry requirements
  • Earn while learning
  • A step into nursing

2 routes into this career

Each route is a real, published way in. None is guaranteed, and requirements vary by employer. Select up to 3 to compare side by side.

  • Route AWork + study

    Apply for a healthcare assistant job and train at work

    For those who want to start caring for patients straight away and learn on the job.

    Starting requirements

    • There are no set entry requirements; employers usually want good literacy and numeracy
    • Some employers ask for GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and maths, or a healthcare qualification
    • Enhanced background checks

    Pathway outline

    1. Apply for healthcare assistant jobs in hospitals, GP practices or the community
    2. Complete your employer's induction and the Care Certificate
    3. Build experience on a ward or in a team
    4. You could take a senior healthcare support worker apprenticeship
    5. You could go on to train as a nursing associate or nurse
    Estimated duration
    You start work straight away; training continues in the job
    How we estimate this

    Health Careers says there are no set entry requirements and training includes the Care Certificate. Employers set how long induction takes.

    Estimated direct study costs
    £0Paid up front by you: £0Published fees only, at the lower and upper ends of official ranges. Training provider fees are extra. Change the assumptions in Compare costs.
    When you can start earning
    From your first day.

    Evidence checked 14 Oct 2026 · Availability varies

  • Route BApprenticeship

    Healthcare support worker apprenticeship (Level 2, then Level 3)

    For those who want a structured apprenticeship with a recognised standard while they earn.

    Starting requirements

    • You apply for an apprenticeship job; each employer sets its own requirements
    • Level 2: some GCSEs, usually including English and maths. Level 3: usually 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including English and maths
    • At least 20% of your normal working hours is off-the-job training

    Pathway outline

    1. Apply for a healthcare support worker apprenticeship (Level 2)
    2. Work and train; your employer and the government pay for the training
    3. Complete the end-point assessment
    4. You could move on to the senior healthcare support worker apprenticeship (Level 3)
    5. You could go on to a nursing associate apprenticeship
    Estimated duration
    8 months for Level 2; about 32 months to Level 3
    How we estimate this

    Find apprenticeship training lists Healthcare support worker (level 2) at 8 months and Senior healthcare support worker (level 3) at 24 months.

    Estimated direct study costs
    Up to £14,000 of training (funding band maximum), paid for youPaid up front by you: £0 — training and assessment are fundedApprentices do not pay for training or assessment. Change the assumptions in Compare costs.
    When you can start earning
    From day one — apprentices are employees and are paid a wage.

    Evidence checked 14 Oct 2026 · Availability varies

Choose “View full journey” on a route to see every step, cost and source.

Good to know

Related careers — not the same as a healthcare assistant

Each of these is a separate career with its own entry rules.

  • Nursing associate

    With experience, healthcare assistants can apply to train as nursing associates, a registered profession in England.

    National Careers Service guide: £26,000 (starter) to £31,000 (experienced), England.

    Official guidance (opens in a new tab)

Questions people ask

Do I need qualifications to become a healthcare assistant?

No set qualifications are needed. Employers usually want good literacy and numeracy, and some ask for GCSEs in English and maths. You train on the job, including the Care Certificate.

Can I become a nurse from a healthcare assistant role?

Yes. With experience you could train as a nursing associate through an apprenticeship and then take a shortened nurse degree apprenticeship, or apply for a nursing degree.

Sources

Evidence checked 14 Oct 2026. Every fee and requirement on this page links to one of these.

UK reference: median full-time pay for all employees was £39,039 in April 2025 (ONS ASHE, provisional).

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